Editorial: Fifa's heavy hand proves a bonus for ambush ads

Opinion

The World Cup organiser, Fifa, has allowed itself to be the victim of a double-ambush.

In moving so forcefully to first evict, then detain, question and now charge in court two women who dared wear orange mini-dresses to a Cup match, Fifa delivers its enemies a stunning global audience.

The women are charged with "ambush marketing" in persuading three dozen blond women to don the dresses in the stand for the Netherlands-Denmark match.

The dresses have no words or logos but a small tab on the seam revealing their origin as a promotion for Dutch brewer Bavaria.

Fifa's official beer is Heineken, and its officials turned orange with fury at Bavaria's initial, feeble stunt.

Instead of the possibility of 30 or so young women being occasionally filmed among all the other orange-clad Dutch fans in the stands, Fifa's heavy hand has given Bavaria a brand exposure exponentially larger and more interested in its name and product.

Ambush marketing is a regular offshoot of the fierce closed shops that global sporting events have become.

It is right that companies, or brands, which have paid big money to be part of a tournament should gain the signage, colours and promotional advantages the sport can offer.

But surely it is taking it too far to suggest a garment of a country's national colour cannot be worn by fans because it was promoted by a company's competitor.

The equivalent at the Rugby World Cup here next year would be fans being evicted and charged for wearing, say, an entirely blank, black T-shirt carrying a small red tab saying Steinlager, All Black sponsor but competitor to Cup sponsor Heineken.

Thankfully such over-reaction is perhaps now less likely. RWC 2011 organisers and Heineken must have seen the futility of Fifa's action. And no one will stop Kiwis wearing black, no matter who puts them up to it.